The Great Race

[Pete]

Sorry tw for not posting to your thread over in technology. Maybe Toad can combine the threads.

Anyway - I was dying to find out why the disqualified ones were disqaulified. Here's the email I got from Ensco this morning.

Primm, Nev. (October 8, 2005) After five hours of traversing almost 90 miles autonomously, averaging just under 20 mph, DEXTER’s solid performance on the Challenge course was forced to end. DARPA officials in a “chase” vehicle stopped DEXTER due to a flat tire.

Up until this point in the course, DEXTER provided loads of excitement. The tenth to start the timed course, DEXTER quickly passed five vehicles, which started earlier, then a sixth, and was quickly catching up to the three leading teams. At times, DEXTER may have been reaching certain mile markers at a speed greater than that of the three leading teams.

The chase vehicle officials reported that following DEXTER was thrilling. DEXTER knew exactly where to go, and possibly reached speeds of approximately 40 mph, making it challenging for their vehicle to keep close. After DEXTER exited the last tunnel, the chase officials believed that DEXTER started to exhibit some unusual behaviors and then suffered the flat tire. Team members are investigating to see what might of happened.

President Greg Young shared, “We are enormously proud of Team ENSCO. We may not have won the Challenge, but the rewards we have won are far greater. There is enormous value in the extensive knowledge each team member has gained in autonomous vehicle technology as well as in the importance of team work.” Team ENSCO member James Whong added, “This has truly been an adventure. I am honored to be a part of this historical event.”

DARPA officials, other teams, the press, and spectators complimented Team ENSCO on their friendliness, professionalism, openness, and upbeat attitude.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Flat tire? So that's why Boeing hired those snipers.

[xoxoxoBruce]

This was the statement on Boeing's internal website for employees;

Boeing-sponsored vehicles finish 2nd, 3rd at Grand Challenge race.
Two Boeing-sponsored autonomous vehicles – Sandstorm and H1ghlander – Saturday were among only five vehicles out of 23 to finish the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Grand Challenge 132-mile race.
The two modified Humvees came in second and third, respectively.
Stanford University's Stanley came in first, winning the $2 million prize.
"We really take our hats off to Stanford," said Phil Koon, Boeing Phantom Works' lead engineer on Carnegie Mellon University's Red Team. "We would have liked to come in first, of course, but Stanley beat us by only 11 minutes.
They may have finished first, but we finished twice."